Oze

The Journal of one Anolf Oshtafan

She who is pretty is prettiest not in silver chains or fine dress

But when she shakes off civility

And the trappings of old society

Beauty is not found in life

Or in reanimated corspes

But in spite of death

True death

When the prettiest things can kill

But happen to restrain

— One of Anolf's favourites

I suppose I am lucky that I have good contacts. As much as Nwa Hurnurd protested, I let Nwarin Zilshirmrin put in good words for me, knows good people in high places or so she says, for when I got here I managed to get a meeting with the fine Iron Pare herself alongside many other things.
She took me on a tour of the Oze Gardens of Seri, after I arrived late as ever - Luze is confusing and I've known that city all my life, Seri is at least thrice the size and ten times as busy. Ever the generous woman, she didn't kill me despite that horrid reputation proceeding her.
Took me through gardens upon gardens of these small, mostly bright pink shrubs and bushes, around 8ish feet tall. Apparently the ladies go mad for them here. And the men it seems too: they're everywhere I go! Every garden, every little place where a plant can be shoved, there are Oze shrubs. Maybe I should sketch some for my beloved, since they'd die before I'd get then back to him. If only plants lasted longer.
I'm not even seeing just the plants everywhere. Imagery of them is everywhere, too. It seems most noble crests or crests of any type involve an Oze plant in some way or another. Makes sense for the region though - crests are assembled from the common and admired - and Yzo Pazi mentioned offhandedly that the border between itself an Hizi Pas is because of a row of Oze plants. But plants don't grow that artificially. Folklore, eh?
I asked if they were edible. Most gardens, even big gardens back home are made up of plants that can land in your dinner. She gave me one of those queer expressions, I'm quite used to that from the landlady to Vlanzun to my own mother, when I said that. Being abroad does make you feel like a child again. Apparently these shrubs are toxic. Seen abroad poisonous, hence it's reluctant use outside of the Neri homeland. But also because thing die easily. Especially plants. Especially plants, as evidenced by my living situation. At least, on the sunny side if there's a sunny side to a conversation involving poison, its bitter. That taste make it inedibele to humans, so poisoning's rare.
However, because I've come to the conclusion everything must have caveats, Ozes might have been involved in one Pishe Meva Punomo's assent. So I'm told, Yzo Pazi had an interest in this sort of thing around the time of The Pashe's death - servant told me that's what her schoolmarm said according to someone else. And this old servants kept mumbling of how she took an oath in front of Savo himself. In this very garden. And guess who died of common Oze poisoning symptoms that year? Yes, the previous Pashe.
But, of course that's nonsense! Really, the merchants never have really liked her much from what I've gathered, especially with her in the ever-so (not) "masculine role" of Pare; chief arse-licker and court jester-miniser. A well liked Pare doesn't gets a moniker like the Left-hand Pishe. But there's a part of me who thinks that to be true, from her disposition, when I brought up historical events. Plus, I feel there's a lot more venom in her than she lets on: suppose that's the job of the Iron Pare to be an ice queen in the middle of a rainforest.

Common Symptoms

nausea, vomiting, excess salivation, abdominal pain, bloody diarrhea irregular heart rhythm (if ingested). Skin irritation, eye inflammation and dermatitis (prolonged exposure to sap)-